By Aaron N
For my first retro review I am going to go all the way back to 1998 and review a game that I recently picked up for the first time in over a decade. Bomberman Hero plays more like an adventure game than its predecessors. It was a different drection for the franchise and I feel like it paid off. When this game first came out, I rented it and got all the way to almost the end when I had to reluctantly return it. So when I bought it at a local used video games store I was able to finally beat it and complete a mission I started in middle school. This review will not compare it to games of this generation but rather be a review as if it just came out.
Graphics:
The graphics for Bomberman Hero are standard for Nintendo 64 games. There isn't much definition to the characters and they all have a blocky look to them, but that was the standard for 64-bit gaming. It did seem though that the graphics did not look that much improved from the launch games for the N64. This is slightly disappointing because while the graphics are great, I wish they could have progressed a little since Mario 64, which other games have shown the capability to do so. With that being said, I was still able to be immersed in the world of Bomberman and the graphics were still great for its time.
Story:
The story for Bomberman Hero is not really that complex. A robot from another planet comes to Bomberman's home planet after his princess is taken from him by an evil group of aliens. So he enlists the help of our bomb-wielding hero to defeat the aliens and save the princess. There is no spoken dialogue in the cutscenes but only text and random noises and music. This makes the cutscenes somewhat boring and they do not do a good job of holding your attention. This makes the story somewhat hard to follow.
Gameplay:
Bomberman Hero plays a lot like Mario 64. Now I know that Mario 64 created the mold for three-dimensional platforming, but it is way too similar to use that excuse. While he may not be able to long jump or do other jumps that Mario does, it still feels like they took the engine from Mario 64, replaced the levels and main character, and then were done with the game. With all that said though it is still a fun game to play. You play through a handful of planets, each consisting of three parts. Each part has a different amount of levels but usually averaging about six levels per part. The second section has a mini-boss, who is a recurring nemesis of Bomberman throughout the game. The final section has a different boss for each planet. Along the way there are different modes of Bomberman that you can utilize in its level. For example there are levels that have you use a helicopter attachment, and some that have you play as an underwater submarine Bomberman. These levels are fun and different and it adds flavor to the game. Bomberman himself is very limited on what he can do. Basically you can just jump, throw bombs short and long, and kick a bomb. It is very limited but the levels are simple so you really don't need to do more. One more thing I noticed about the levels was that it is possible to run through most levels without attacking many enemies. This makes the game very easy. It does even itself out because the boss levels are quite difficult, especially the final boss who takes a while to defeat.
Music:
Bomberman Hero has very simplistic music. It does not consist of much besides the same rhythm being recycled during the song. It also plays the same songs throughout many levels. It feels like the game has only four or five different songs. So the songs become annoying at times and you beg for something different to be played. But the music is still catchy and they somehow fit for each level. They fit the atmosphere of the levels and they add something to the gameplay. The music, for the most part, is very laid-back and they let you relax and play the game. This is important because gaming can be very frustrating at times and this takes away some of that stress.
Overall:
Bomberman Hero is a fun game to play and it is a different take on the franchise than it has had in the past. I actually like this game better than Bomberman 64 and I found it easier to play. The graphics could have been better but are still good. The gameplay was somewhat generic and a clone of Mario 64 and they could have made the story less boring to follow. But all in all it was a fun game and regardless of these shortcomings I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, fun game to play. You are able to shut your mind off, sit back and enjoy the game.
Bomberman Hero gets a 7/10.
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